Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters Opens Carpentry Artifact Museum in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, June 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Philadelphia has another museum to help document the city's rich history, following an official ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony for the Philadelphia Carpenters Museum, which documents the region's influence in the labor movement and tool manufacturing.

Located at the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) Philadelphia offices at 18th and Spring Garden streets, the Carpenters Museum houses rare tools and other unique artifacts from the early days of the founding of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) in 1881.

Included in the exhibit are the original union membership cards of Peter J. McGuire, the founder of the UBCJA, who is credited with leading the movement to establish the Labor Day holiday. McGuire, who also helped found the American Federation of Labor, was a member of the Philadelphia Carpenters Union Local 8 from 1882 until his death in 1906. 

The museum contains rare artifacts that preserve the history of Philadelphia's role in the tool-manufacturing industry at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the United States. One display includes two Pike and Dean Planes from 1875, which were produced in Philadelphia for a single year; only eight of these unique planes are known to exist.

Ed Coryell, Sr., who led the former Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters in Philadelphia for decades and oversaw the museum's creation, said the idea for the museum came to him when he was first elected President of Local 8. "I found records that related back to McGuire and I thought that one day we should display the same history," he said.

"I want the children of our members and the general public to visit this museum, because it not only tells the history of our union, but is a history of working people, founded on struggle and fueled by hope and the aspirations of workers who demanded fair wages and safe working conditions," Coryell added. 

John Ballantyne, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the NRCC, called the museum a testament to Ed Coryell's leadership and stewardship of the Carpenters Union. "Ed will be long-remembered as one of Philadelphia's greatest labor leaders. He stood up for his members while working with the business community to create thousands of good-paying jobs and help transform this great city," Ballantyne said.

Robert Naughton, Regional Manager of the Tri-State area office of the NRCC, said the Carpenters owe a sincere debt of gratitude to Ed Coryell, Sr., for his work on behalf of members and the museum.

For more information about the museum and to inquire about tours, please contact Mike Tapken at 215-569-1634.

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SOURCE Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC)